§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent fatal helicopter accident in Kenema, Sierra Leone. [11451]
§ Mr. IngramAt approximately 7.15 am local time on Friday 19 October, a HIND helicopter belonging to the Sierra Leone armed forces crashed about fives miles south west of Kenema, Sierra Leone. Regrettably, a British Army Officer, Major Vanessa Lang, sustained head injuries in the crash, and subsequently died of her injuries in hospital in Kenema. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I extend our deep condolences to Major Lang's family.
Major Lang was working from the British Military Headquarters in Freetown as a media adviser to the Sierra Leone armed forces. She was travelling in the helicopter to provide advice to the Sierra Leone Army on their information strategy in relation to a planned border security operation. The other five occupants of the helicopter included a British Non-Commissioned Officer and an Australian Major: none received serious injuries in the accident. British accident investigators are assisting the Government of Sierra Leone in the investigation into the precise cause of the accident.